Entrepreneurial edge
Drawing on early leadership and entrepreneurial experiences, Ryan Armstrong is determined to be his own boss.
As a high schooler, Ryan Armstrong was already dipping his toes into the entrepreneurial pool. Armstrong and his silk-screening T-shirt company, Mossy Springs, were recognized for contributions to the local economy and his dedication, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. The company won a $1,000 award from the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce and Miller Resources for Entrepreneurs.
“That experience taught me that you reap what you sow,” says Armstrong, a business administration major with a concentration in entrepreneurship. “It is fulfilling to put in the hard work and watch yourself grow.”
The Dean’s List student took his initial entrepreneurship courses at TU and was immediately impressed by the real-world expertise of faculty members. “The diversity of the coursework and the expertise of the professors has really enhanced my learning experience,” says Armstrong. “I don’t have an idea yet but am cultivating the skills and the knowledge to find a business I love.” As part of his Entrepreneurship Foundations and Pathways course, Armstrong created a business plan and participated in a business competition to start a nonprofit organization to teach financial literacy to Baltimore City students.
The budding entrepreneur has demonstrated his leadership skills in another arena, leading a youth ministry Young Life group at Hereford High School in Baltimore County, where he has worked 15 to 20 hours a week hosting 70 students for Bible study. Although not much older than the participants, Armstrong understands the teenagers look up to him. “I use that respect to speak the truth to their lives, and I have learned the most important thing as a leader is to be prepared.”